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Learning the Signs and Keys to Good Prostate Health for Men

Throughout most of your life you slept blissfully through the night. Now you wake up in the middle of the night, once or twice, to use the bathroom. For many men this is the first sign of an enlarged prostate. This is a natural part of aging. As men age, the prostate slowly grows and by age 60 more than half of all men have symptoms of an enlarged prostate. Medically known as benign prostatic hypertrophy, or BPH, an enlarged prostate isn’t dangerous but can create uncomfortable conditions. By age 80 more than 90 percent of men have signs of BPH.

Symptoms of Poor Prostate Health
In men, urine flows from the bladder through the urethra. An enlarged prostate restricts the flow and the bladder has to contract more forcefully to push urine through the body. About half of all men with BPH experience symptoms, including a frequent, urgent need to urinate (often in the middle of the night), a decreased or stop-and-start urine flow, dribbling after urination and the feeling that the bladder hasn’t completely emptied. Some men suffer from all these symptoms while others only have one or two. The condition can be uncomfortable and inconvenient, but research does not show a link between BPH and prostate cancer.

Treatment
The treatment depends upon the severity of the symptoms. It can range from self-care options such as avoiding alcohol and caffeine and limiting fluids before bedtime to the extreme option of surgery. Many European countries use saw palmetto to treat BPH. One review of 18 trials (including more than 2,900 men and lasting up to 48 weeks) concluded that saw palmetto improves urinary symptoms in men with BPH as well as the prescription medication finasteride (Proscar) does—but with fewer side effects, such as reduced sexual functioning. In addition to saw palmetto, the supplements lycopene and selenium have been shown to reduce the negative effects caused by an enlarged prostate. Cooper Complete Prostate Health contains these ingredients.

Prevention
Lycopene is a carotenoid and a strong antioxidant. Lycopene gives tomatoes, red grapefruit, and watermelon their red color. Research shows that eating tomato sauce or mashed tomatoes cooked with a little olive oil may help to reduce your risk of prostate cancer.

Scientifically Proven
According the University of Maryland medical center, evidence suggests that if you have low levels of selenium, getting more selenium in your diet may lower your risk of prostate cancer. In one study of 1,312 people, those who took 200 mcg of selenium as selenized yeast per day had two-thirds lower risk of developing prostate cancer during the 4.5-year study compared to those who took a placebo. Cooper Complete Prostate Health contains 100 mcg of selenium from selenium yeast.

Cooper Complete Prostate Health reduces the symptoms of BPH for about 50 to 65 percent of consumers. Take two softgels daily of Prostate Health for four to six weeks to see if the product lessens your symptoms of BPH. If BPH symptoms haven’t improved after two months, discontinue usage. Men taking blood thinners (such as Coumadin or Warfarin) should not take Cooper Complete Prostate Health as saw palmetto may increase bleeding.

To learn more about Cooper Complete Vitamins and Supplements, click here.

Article provided by Cathy Sides, Director of Customer Relations, Cooper Concepts Inc.